Patricia Clapp was born in 1912 in Boston. She attended the Columbia University School of Journalism. She describes herself as a "theater person" and has worked with community theater for more than forty years. Clapp has directed and written numerous plays for children, young adults, and adults; and she has had several poems published. Clapp is a grandmother and great-grandmother who lives in Upper Montclair, New Jersey.

Events in her life are reflected in her works for young adults. After receiving a genealogy of her family, the author discovered that an ancestor, Constance Hopkins, came over on the Mayflower. Intending to write a play about her life, Clapp decided instead to write her story as a diary or journal. The result was Constance: A Story of Early Plymouth, a novel for young adults. After reading issues of Century magazine, Clapp's interest was sparked by articles...